Patrick McMillan coming to Naturally Kiawah Garden grand opening

Back in April we announced the “Naturally Kiawah Garden” project, a garden with the focus of enhancing the knowledge of plants native to Kiawah Island for students, visitors and local residents. The garden, located in Night Heron Park beside Kiawah Island Parkway, has been completed thanks to donations from the Kiawah Conservancy and an anonymous grant. It is made up of both native plants and plants that respond well to our environment. On Saturday, October 26th, the Kiawah Conservancy is hosting a “Gathering in the Garden” event as the Grand Opening of the Naturally Kiawah Garden. The event will take place in the garden at 4 pm and is a step to secure the future of the Garden. Everyone is welcome to this event. Reservations are required and include cocktails, heavy hors d’oeuvres and a walk through the garden with Patrick McMillan, SCETV’s host of Expeditions with Patrick McMillan.

Dr. Patrick McMillan has spent over 20 years working as a professional naturalist, biologist and educator. McMillan is also an author and an Emmy-winning host. Expeditions with Patrick McMillan takes viewers on captivating adventures throughout North and South America, offering exciting views of wildlife and wilderness through gorges, deciduous forests, Arctic tundra and other ecologically bountiful destinations. With a Bachelor’s in Biology from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and a PhD in Biological Sciences from Clemson University, Patrick’s insight into the Naturally Kiawah Garden will prove to be both educationally stimulating and interesting.

While the garden is very aesthetically pleasing, that is not its only purpose. The native plants in the garden also provide food, protective cover and nesting sites for Kiawah’s wildlife. With the ability to thrive in the heat and humidity of South Carolina, and also adapt to coastal living, the native plants to Kiawah Island provide local insects, birds and other native animals with clean air, pure water and habitats. These plants are also credited with soil stability, flood abatements and a healthy, functioning ecosystem. Needless to say, beauty and functionality coexist in the Naturally Kiawah Garden. If you are interested in joining Dr. Patrick McMillan and the Kiawah Conservancy at the “Gathering of the Garden”, you can purchase your tickets online or by contacting the Conservancy office at 843-768-2029.